An analysis of the critical holiday period, which includes November, December and the first two weeks of January, shows impressive results. It also shows the central role the company is playing in helping Canadian businesses grow through e-commerce.

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It was just four years ago – on December 13, 2012 – that Canada Post delivered 1 million parcels in a single day for the first time. It was a new high-water mark worth celebrating – and we ended up doing it twice that year. Fast forward to 2016 and we did it 26 times. That’s 26 days on which Canada Post delivered one million parcels. That’s 10 more Million Parcel Days than last Christmas season.

Million Parcel Days are no longer a blip on the calendar – they’re occurring regularly. In 2016, we experienced 20 Million Parcel Days in a row. For 20 consecutive business days from November 28 to December 23, we delivered one million parcels. With significant planning, investments and hard work, Canada Post delivered a positive customer experience to millions of Canadians.

In holiday 2016, our peak among the other peaks was an all-time single-day record for parcel delivery: we delivered 1.52 million parcels to Canadians on December 5, 2016. That was the equivalent of delivering about 3,620 parcels per minute.

Canadians’ love for online shopping means the Christmas season is happening earlier, growing significantly and lasting longer. Parcel volumes over the holiday season have doubled in four years. The grand total was 54 million parcels in holiday 2016, compared to 27 million in holiday 2012.

Most of the year, we deliver on weekdays only – but Canadians shop online seven days a week. To meet customer demand during the holidays, weekend deliveries are a must and start in November. In 2016, weekend deliveries set another record. Canadians were pleasantly surprised to receive one of the 2.6 million parcels we delivered on a Saturday or Sunday.

Canada Post is the only company that delivers to every Canadian address – and these addresses also grow in number every year. In 2016, the number of addresses surpassed the 16 million mark. Delivering a record number of parcels to a record number of addresses is impressive enough, but we also have to factor in the winter weather. From coast-to-coast-to-coast we faced brutal weather conditions on many days.

Eight out of 10 Canadians shop online and they’re buying more items more often each year. Canada Post delivers two of every three parcels they order. Add it all up, and we will see 1 Million Parcel Days sprout up all over the 2017 calendar – long before they vie for new records next holiday season. Spoiler alert: we’ve already had a few…